“Everywhere they had space in the home, there were animals,” said Meera Nandlal, manager for public relations at SPCA.

The animals were removed by SPCA, and are being examined and nursed back to health. The dogs range in age from just a few days old to 14 years.

J.C. Mosier, chief constable with Harris County Precinct 1, described the living conditions in the home as “terrible,” and the medical condition of most of the dogs as “horrible.”

The bodies of four dogs were found in a freezer. Many of the dogs also had open wounds, Mosier said.

Espinoza and Cesareo Jaquez, her husband, are set to appear at a hearing Tuesday before Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Dale Gorczynski.

Espinoza and her neighbor of 10 years, Beatriz Estrada, said this was not SPCA's first visit, and they feel wronged by the agency taking the animals.

“SPCA had been out to her house many times,” Estrada said. “If they had an issue with how many animals she had, they should have told her in the beginning.”

However, SPCA officials said they had not been to the residence before Tuesday.

Neighbors were aware

Espinoza acknowledged that many of the animals were in bad shape, but said it was not her doing.

“They brought them to me that way, and I tried to nurse them back to health,” she said. “As soon as they get better I give them away to people.”

Her neighbor said everybody in the area knew Espinoza had the dogs, and people regularly left animals to her care. This, she said, included dogs abandoned at her front gate, sick dogs, or puppies to be sold at a flea market.

Espinoza said the SPCA approved of her work at the flea market every 15 or 22 days. Agency officials said they have never checked on her there.

License claim disputed

Espinoza said she has a breeder's license, allowing her to have more than three dogs in Houston.

An official with the city's Department of Administration and Regulatory Affairs said Espinoza had neither a breeder's license nor a kennel's license for that address.

When investigators arrived this week, she had more dogs than usual because a litter of German shepherds had just been left and several of her dogs had recently had puppies, her neighbor said.

Estrada said there were normally about 50 dogs at the 1,100-square-foot home.

They were mostly kept in air-conditioned spaces or had had fans, Espinoza said. In the backyard, a separate building housed more dogs, and there was an area for them to run and play.

“On the TV they're making it seem like she wasn't taking care of them,” Estrada said. “She cared very well for her dogs. I think it's an injustice they did this to her.”

Denies mistreatment

Espinoza, in tears, said she has been treated unfairly and never mistreated her animals. “I took real good care of them and nursed them back to health,” she said.

The SPCA said this was one of the largest rescues of dogs in its history. In September of last year about 1,000 mixed animals were rescued from a Houston site.